These 3 Malcolm Gladwell Books Will Help You Realize Your Potential

There’s more to this world than meets the eye. Thanks to these insights, you can use the unseen to your advantage and realize your true potential.

by Michael Benninger | May 12 2017

Among the many nonfiction authors who’ve made their debuts this century, few have had as much influence as five-time New York Times bestselling author Malcolm Gladwell.

His work answers some of the most pressing questions of our time, including; what lies at the root of success and what role intuition plays in decision making. All of his books offer invaluable wisdom that readers can directly incorporate into their lives. We would all love to live a little more wisely, but finding the time to read just isn’t as easy as it used to be. Or is it?

Introducing Blinkist, a reading app that helps you enjoy bestselling books in a fraction of the time. Blinkist’s expert editorial team condenses big, brain-changing ideas from today’s top books and presents them in a format you can read — or listen to — in about 15 minutes. That means you can get up to speed with Malcolm Gladwell’s best books in under an hour!

If you’re eager to open your eyes to Gladwell’s greatest discoveries, here’s a glimpse of what you’ll learn from three of his most popular books brought to you by the team behind the Blinkist app.

Tip #1: Use the power of “connectors” to make your big idea grow

from The Tipping Point: How Little Things Can Make a Big Difference

Gladwell’s 2000 debut, The Tipping Point, explores why some ideas, products, and behaviors experience explosive growth, while others die on the vine. Gladwell demonstrates how growth depends on reaching an epidemic-like moment known as the ‘tipping point.’ And while many factors can contribute to a concept growing like crazy, most of the time it only takes a few key people to trigger an epidemic.

These key people are what Gladwell calls “connectors,” that is, natural persuaders who have a vast social network and acquaintances from all walks of life. Gladwell details how these “connectors” play a critical role in the growth of any successful idea, and without them, widespread innovation would occur far less frequently.

ACTIONABLE ADVICE: Want your concept to spread like wildfire? Impress the connectors in your life, and let them take your idea to the masses.

Tip #2: New adventures can help you make smarter decisions

from Blink: The Power of Thinking Without Thinking

In Blink, Gladwell’s second book, the author explains how we make far more snap judgments than we realize, many of which aren’t entirely rational. And while prejudicial thinking patterns can prevent us from achieving our full potential, there is a way to break free from them.

Many of our decisions are rooted in unconscious associations, which may be deep-seated, but can be overcome. By opening yourself up to new experiences, you can learn to use your automatic responses to your advantage and rid yourself of restrictive thinking.

ACTIONABLE ADVICE: Want to improve your outlook on life? Look for ways to change your unconscious attitude by meeting new people and embarking on new adventures.

Tip #3: Talent is good, but only practice makes perfect

from Outliers: The Story of Success

In his 2008 book, Outliers, Gladwell argues the concept of being self-made is a myth. He explains how an individual’s trajectory in life is largely determined by unseen factors beyond our control — the month and year of your birth, for instance, and where in the world you happen to have grown up. Believe it or not, these seemingly inconsequential details have a tremendous influence over our future achievements.

Yet while there are characteristics about ourselves we can’t change, there is one guaranteed path to success: practice. Gladwell argues world-class mastery of any activity first requires roughly 10,000 hours of practice. And while that certainly is a sizable chunk of time (about 20 hours a week for 10 years), people achieve it every day. So while talent certainly plays a role for some people, practice is even more important on the road to success.

ACTIONABLE ADVICE: Just because you weren’t born a wunderkind doesn’t mean you’re not destined for greatness. Through persistent practice, it’s possible to master any activity.

These are just 3 of the tens of thousands of smart concepts you could be discovering each day with the Blinkist app. With 2,000-plus titles in more than a dozen categories, what will you choose to learn? Download the Blinkist app now to find out!

ABOUT THE WRITER

Michael Benninger

Michael is a writer, editor, and lifelong geek living in San Diego, California. He’s been writing for print and digital publications for more than a decade. When not at a keyboard, he can usually be found biking around the beach, staring at a cinema screen, or buried in a good book. Michael’s recommended read is Waking Up by Sam Harris.

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